Album Notes

Blues in the Basement is an exciting new album coming out of years of touring and recording from NYC veteran sax man, Ian Hendrickson-Smith. Taped Live at New York City's Fat Cat Jazz Club in the heart of the Greenwich Village, you can literally see the sweat pouring off the band as they wail away stories of old and new. If you are a fan of funky, soulful, get-down, good-time music, you will want this record in your collection. With superior audio fidelity, this record reminds us of the classic 60's funky recordings of Eddie Harris and Cannonball Adderley while creating it's own unique, original sound that you don't want to miss!

Featuring:
Ian Hendrickson-Smith: Tenor Saxophone
Dave Guy: Trumpet
Bosco Mann: Tambourine and Congas
Rick Germanson: Piano
Neal Miner: Acoustic Bass
Brian Floody: Drums

Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Blues In The Basement
Cellar Live
By George W. Harris

Recorded in concert at the Fat Cat, NYC, "BITB" takes the golden era of Blue Note Hard Bop, squeezes it through a puree, and presents the pulpy essence of foot tapping jazz. Combining the grit of the Jazz Messengers and the clever arrangements of Horace Silver's classic quintet, Hendrickson-Smith takes his trumpet/tenor front line through a set of mostly originals that are catchy, free wheeling and above all, begging the listener to get up and move it!

Hendrickson-Smith's tenor, with a tone and wail recalling Stanley Turrentine, mixes a gospel bluesy gruff with Dave Guy's bright and robust trumpet on catchy originals like "Big Weeds" and the breathtaking "Jacob's New Crib". His solo on the ballad "Hey, Baby" is delicious and fatty. The 60s classic "Hello Stranger" is a perfect vehicle for this riff loving band, with Floody's drums and Mann's percussion laying down an infectious groove. But the real hero of this gig is pianist Rick Germanson, who treats the piano as if he were in a Revival meeting, pounding out percussive rhythms that raise the roof. His finger numbing work on "Chatterbox" and ride-cymbal like tapping on "Jacob's New Crib" recall Bobby Timmons at his peak. This guy could put soul into a Kenny G disc! If you've worn out your Blakey and Silver releases, you're in for an oasis with this band.